Emotional Impact
Most people see Ray Lewis as the resident team chaplain that always finds a way to motivate. Whether he is on the field or off the field due to injury, Lewis has always found a way to go up to each guy on the team and bring up his spirits. Motivation was Ray’s top priority. He always wanted his teammates to believe in him, but more importantly the team as a whole. Sam Adams cited that as the main reason he came to Baltimore.
“I took way less money to come to Baltimore because I wanted to be a part of this family,” Adams said. “I told them we’re going to win the Super Bowl. Ray was always the guy that made it feel like a family. He made you feel better about yourself and make you feel welcome. When you’re relaxed and you feel welcome and you don’t want to let people down; you play better. That’s why I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I hated to leave Baltimore. I did not want to leave, but it was time and that was a business. Ray makes it feel like a family and he made Baltimore feel like it was home.”
Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta has the greatest appreciation for Lewis’ contributions as a leader on the Baltimore Ravens.
” He just has an unusual ability to motivate people,” DeCosta said. “He’s a guy that has a charisma and energy that people feed off.”
The Ravens have lost four of five to end the season — if you really want to count the fifth preseason game that was Week 17 against the Bengals.
The Colts have just received a tremendous emotional lift as their head coach Chuck Pagano returned to the sidelines after he conquered his battle with cancer. What better time for Ray Lewis to make this announcement?
This could quite possibly be his greatest motivational tactic in his career.
The team is reeling and they are facing the NFL’s feel-good story of the 2012 season.
What better way to go into this game than with the mentality that each player will try to win the big one for Ray this season and let him go out on top.
He STILL has play-making abilities
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the greatest defensive player of my lifetime that I’ve had a chance to watch.”
Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said this of Ray Lewis and he is correct.
Even though Lewis missed a large chunk of the season with a torn right triceps muscle, he still found a way to make an impact on defense.
He only played in six games, but he led the team in tackles in that time-span (57). He had 24 tackles in his last two games versus the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs.
He forced and recovered a fumble and added a sack to his already impressive career.
We all know about his publicized workouts and weight loss this off-season and it doesn’t appear to have helped entirely as he wasn’t more explosive on the pass like he was hoping and the weight loss hurt his ability to shed blocks, meaning a good portion of his tackles were down-field.
However, Lewis still has a nose for the football and even tough it may take him longer to get to the ball-carrier, he still has great tackling form and is willing to sacrifice his body in any way possible.
As he’s said before, “Pain is a gift from God.”
These are the three main reasons as to how Ray will be remembered, but there is also one period of time that has somewhat tarnished his image and is a main reason as to why Ray is a God-fearing man.
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